Page 6 of Knot Alone

“I’ll make them stop.” He rumbles.

“No, it’s okay. They’re just doing their jobs.”

He raises a bushy, black eyebrow to call me on my bullshit.

“They are. They’re caseworkers and it’s their job to see me safely through my heat. Even if…”

“Even if?” He accepts that we’re going to be here for a while and pulls out the chair on the far side of the desk to settle in. He’s handsome back there.

“Even if they want to resolve things how I don’t.”

“Objection, your honor. Vague.” The corner of his mouth ticks up in a slight grin.

Oh, I blink. He’s teasing. It’s not much of a joke, but it’s so unexpected that I laugh. He doesn’t seem the sort to tease. I don’t know why that show of humor makes me say it, but I explain, “I have my heats at home alone.”

He furrows in question and I resign myself to doing most of our communication via facial expression.

“My heats are easy.”

“But they said there was an Omega in distress.”

“I’m not in distress.” I huff. His eyebrow arches higher at the burned edges of my scent. “I’m not. I just dislike yelling and I like it less right now.”

For all that it’s impolite, I flop into the chair across from him. I’ve earned a lack of decorum. The Alpha must’ve been sitting in this spot before I invaded because his scent puffs from the fabric. I’m having a bit of a day, so it’s fine that I want to slouch into his aroma.

“They said…” The Alpha pauses, licking his lips and pulling back on the lawyerly tone. “They said the match was because the Omega was in an urgent situation.”

“It’s not urgent and I’m not ‘in distress.’ My caseworker just thinks I should be. I have all my heats alone, in the comfort of my home. But I can’t this time because my relatives dropped by without advanced warning. Usually, I’d lock my bedroom door and turn on my air purifier. But my sister and her husband are both Betas and their children are Betas, and—” my brother-in-law is an Omega-ist who insisted I leave my own damn home because he doesn’t want my pheromones around his children.

“We decided it would be better if I come here. But the Center can’t just let me stay alone in a room. Their protocols require that they try to match me. My caseworker doesn’t believe that my heats alone are fine.”

My explanation seems to have made things worse. The Alpha’s chocolate scent isn’t bitter like it turned from my fear. But it’s… warm? Not deeper, and not richer, almost more like a chocolate bar than hot chocolate. I don’t know this man at all, but everything about him says he’s about to dig in his heels.

“Alone, alone?”

“What other kind of alone is there?”

“I’ve helped friends with their heats.” I can’t help but blush bright red at the thought of him ‘helping’ me.

The Alphas scrambles on, like he needs to explain himself. “I haven’t had sex with any of my friends, but I’ve been there with them in case they need help eating or drinking, or they get a cramp.”

I swallow to clear my throat and force myself to sound casual. “Cramp?”

The Alpha raises his right hand and wiggles two fingers. My low belly clenches at how nice his thick fingers would be. He blushes right back like he can’t believe he did that. Though, the Alpha’s chocolate scent bursts with nutmeg, so he seems to like the thought too.

“You’re a good friend.” I burst out.

“Yes.” He says bluntly. I bite back a smile. He just shrugs, but doesn’t take it back. That confidence makes me a little brave.

“So, that’s… why they called you?” I leave the ‘for me,’ implied.

“No. I was in a meeting with my caseworker and the timing was…” I can see the wheels in his mind running through several words before he goes with, “coincidental.”

“You don’t seem pleased with the coincidence.” I point out.

“Neither do you.” The Alpha cocks his head like I’m a puzzle he doesn’t know if he wants to solve. “I’m Linus.”

I instinctually smile. “I’m Maggie.” I reach out to shake. No thought about having his large hand wrap around mine. My breath catches as his touch shoots to my core like a lightning strike. Something inside me ignites.

---